The Birthday Virus
by Karume
Summary: Naruto becomes suddenly ill on a day that only comes once each year- his birthday. When his teammates go to check on him, they are shocked with what they find. Will they be able to help Naruto recover? Note: The story takes place before Sasuke runs for the 1st time Some fluff between the teammates but not many pairings
1. Chapter 1

It was the same as it was every year.

The day was spent alone.

Without friends.

Without family.

Sometimes Iruka-Sensei bothered to stop by. He would take him for ramen, and buy him a gift.

This year Iruka was gone, out on a mission.

Naruto stared at the tiles on his kitchen floor, tracing his eyes along the cracks. Sadness flooded through him, and his usually bright blue eyes were dull and hazy.

Why did he put himself through each day, trying to ignore the cold glares sent his way? Why, did he continue to live in the village where he was treated like a monster?

Maybe he was.

Maybe it would be better to just disappear from everyone's life.

Naruto pulled out a kunai knife, watching the way the light danced off of its edge. He admired it for a second, before setting it on the side of his arm.

A drop of water burst against the floor. Another followed right after.

His tears began to flow off of his face, falling like his hopes and dreams.

 _To think that I wanted to become Hokage. Heh, I can barely get people to look at me._

A sharp pain exploded behind his eyes, and he dropped the kunai to the floor. A sudden sting was followed by warmth running down his arm. He was bleeding,

His tears and blood mixed on the floor, and he suddenly felt cold and needed to hurl.

Naruto sank to the floor, burying his face into his knees and wrapping his arms around his legs.

Someone pounded at the door. Probably someone here to beat him up or ruin his apartment. They always came on this day of the year. They would always shout for the monster to come out. to face its fate.

Usually he ignored them.

The pounding continued, and when there was no response, the door burst open and nearly flew off of its hinges.

In the doorway stood a pink-haired kunoichi, her fists at her sides and scanning the room intently for her teammate. Behind her stood a raven-haired boy, who called out.

"Dobe, are you here?" there was a slight hint of worry in his voice, which surprised Naruto.

Maybe they cared a little about him after all.

Sakura scanned the apartment, and a pit of worry formed in her stomach over what she saw. Well, Naruto's apartment was usually messy, but this was worse than normal.

Blankets and pillows were scattered everywhere, and unopened ramen cups were strewn about the floor. There had been paint splattered on the doorway before she had entered, saying awful things she would never have liked to be said about anyone, especially her friends and teammates.

"Naruto-kun, are you here?" Sakura called out, making her way further into her apartment.

She passed the kitchen, and was shocked at what she saw.

Her usually bright. cheerful, and sometimes annoying teammate was a mess.

He was curled up into a ball, his blond hair ratted and streaked with what looked like blood. His arm was bleeding, and his shirt was stained with tears. There was a kunai next to his foot on the floor.

"Naruto?" Sasuke almost gasped at the sight of his teammate, shocked and wondering what drove him to this point. Was it something about the nine-tails?

Sakura ran forwards to him, kicking the kunai away before gently stroking his matted hair.

"Naruto-kun…" she felt like crying herself. _Did he cut himself?_

Naruto lifted his head, which felt like it was burning up. His vision begun to clear up, which revealed his female teammate watching him with worry, on the verge of tears, and his other teammate crouched next to him with a similar and rare expression of shock and worry.

He tried to open his mouth to speak, but it felt dry and he could not make a sound. Sakura gently picked his tiny form up, cradling him to her and laying him on his bed. She laid a hand on his forehead, which felt cool compared to his burning head. She spoke some words to Sasuke, which Naruto could not understand, before he nodded and turned away. She leaned closer to him and spoke softly.

"Naruto-kun… I need you to lie still okay? You have a fever- and a pretty high one too. We may have to take you into the hospital." Naruto tried to shake his head at that. He didn't want to go to the hospital- he didn't want to be saved.

Sasuke returned to the bed, holding a cold and moist towel which he laid with care on his younger teammate's head. He looked so tiny, and delicate. It bothered him to see him in this state.

"I'm going to make him some soup, alright? You just stay here, Sasuke, and make sure he's okay." Sakura got up and headed for the kitchen, and Sasuke turned his attention once more to the blond.

Naruto tried to sit up, but Sasuke gently pushed him back down.

"You need to rest, Naruto. Stay put, okay?" he murmured. The dobe rested with his eyes closed, letting sleep overtake him for a little while.

Let me know what you think so far- this is my first story! :)

Might see more characters in the future, maybe Gaara and other sand and leaf nin

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura returned with a bowl filled with steaming hot soup.

"Should I wake him up, Sakura-chan?" Sasuke questioned the kunoichi.

"Iie, Sasuke-kun. Let him rest. The soup needs to cool down anyways."

"Would you like something to eat? I could go into town and pick something up…. How about dango?"

"I thought you didn't have much of a sweet tooth,"

"Hai, but if you like it then I can have it for one meal. Should I buy one for him?" Sasuke motioned over to the sleeping jinchuriki, who was whimpering in his sleep.

"Iie. Well, maybe. Perhaps a little, but we need to see if he can even keep it down. Thanks."

The Uchiha walked out the door, gritting his teeth in anger at the paint on the door.

 _I hope this all gets better, especially the dobe._ He sighed.

Sakura sat next to Naruto, flipping the towel on his forehead as he incoherently mumbled words. The sleeping boy begun to curl around her, clutching onto the fabric of her dress. His face would scrunch up with pain, and then relax.

Tenderly, she brushed the hair off his face, looking down at him. His expression was relaxed, and peaceful, unlike moments ago. She remembered the cut on his arm and went off to get a towel to clean it.

When she returned, she found the blond crying once more, but he was still asleep.

"No…. No…. Stop…. Please…" He murmured as his tears glistened on his cheeks. Sakura wondered what he could have been dreaming about.

He was always so happy, and never seemed sad at all. Then all of a sudden…

Why was he suffering so much? Was it because of her? Because of the village?

"Gomen'nasai, Naruto-kun. If we have done this to you… If I have done this to you."

Sakura leaned down and pressed her ear to his chest, listening to his heart beat beneath his shirt. A single tear slipped from her eye and she slowly begun to drift off to sleep.

"Sakura-chan." a hand gently shook her from her nap. She slowly opened her eyes, realizing that she was still laying on Naruto, and his arm was now curled around her waist. She gently removed his hand, blushing slightly then checking the soup to see if it was cold enough.

"I brought the dango." Sasuke was standing next to her. For once, he seemed to regard her warmly and even had a slight smile on his face.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she yawned. "How long was I asleep?"

"I only took about ten minutes at the market, but once I got back I let you both rest. Anyways, that wasn't a sight you come upon often." Sasuke smirked teasingly.

"I suppose we should wake him up, eh?" Sakura smiled at Naruto, who's mouth was hanging open slightly. She gently shook his shoulder and patted his face, trying to bring him back to consciousness.

"Naruto, are you all right?" she asked him as he opened his eyes slightly.

"S-Sakura...chan?" he hoarsely whispered, taking note of his surroundings. "And teme too, huh?" he coughed.

"Don't strain yourself, Naruto." Sasuke warned.

"I made soup for you. Try to hold it down, alright?" Sakura sat next to him on his bed and begun to slowly spoon the soup into his mouth. He looked tired, and drained.

After a couple spoonfuls, she set the bowl down and tenderly propped his pillow up so he could sit.

"Why… Why did you help me?" he coughed. "I thought everyone hated me…"

"Idiot. If you think we hate you, you're wrong. Heh, you two are probably the closest things I have to best friends," Sasuke shook his head.

Naruto stayed silent, his head hanging down. Sakura tilted his chin and looked him in the eyes, searching for answers to why he was in this state.

There was a knock on the door, and then it opened.

Sakura and Sasuke took defensive stances in front of the bed, ready to protect Naruto if need be.

"Relax, you two, it's just me." A familiar voice echoed from the doorway, revealing who this new person was.

Thank you to all of my readers! Let me know if you have any suggestions, and please review!

I'll try to post another chapter within a week, but with my schedule...

~See you all later~


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto (wish I did though)

Thank you to all those who reviewed and such, it means alot to me!

It also helps keep the pesky writer's-block beasts from sinking their fangs into me.

Let me know if you have any suggestions, questions, or comments!

"Kakashi-sensei? What are you doing here?" Sakura asked.

"Well, you two never came back after you went to look for Naruto, so I thought something might have happened." He looked up from his new novel of Icha Icha Paradise and took in the scene before him. The torn up apartment. The two ninja standing in front of a bed, blocking his view from what lay inside it. He pushed past his students and set his eyes on their blond teammate, who lay shivering in the bed.

"Well, look what we have here. It seems our show-off has gotten sick. Tell me, has he had any food recently?" Kakashi asked, only half listening to the pink-haired girl's answer. He nodded, becoming immersed in the plot of his book.

 _She raised her fingertips to his face, tracing his cheekbones, his lips, becoming lost in his eyes. Those dark pools she was swimming in were like the night sky…_

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Sakura glowered, snatching the book out of his hands as he giggled. "CHA!" She hit him with a smack that sent him flying backwards a few metres.

"Hey! Give that back!" Kakashi pouted underneath his mask, watching his student chuck it out the window and turning back with a look that was as fierce as a raging fire. She took a stance that strongly reminded him of a tigress protecting her young.

"The idiot… He's sick and I have no clue what's wrong with him. This doesn't look like any normal sickness to me. We should take him to Hokage-sama soon, right Sasuke?" the boy only nodded in response, trying not to let his concern for the boy show. Even with his extremely limited medical knowledge, he could easily see that his friend was not sick with an ordinary cold.

Kakashi was shocked to see his students like this. Sakura was normally following Sasuke around like a lost puppy, trying to melt his cold heart with her lovesick eyes, and completely ignoring Naruto as if he were the ugly duckling. Sasuke seemed to never give a damn about the blond, unless he felt he needed another chance to prove his superiority over him.

Here, however, they were completely different. Sakura was being… protective of her teammate and was caring for him as best as she could. She was obviously worried about the child, constantly checking his temperature and wetting the washcloth on his forehead.

Sasuke kept his steely look on his face, the one that all of them knew too well. To a stranger, it would have looked like the boy didn't seem to care about his sick teammate lying in the bed in front of him. But Kakashi could tell that he was worried about the younger teen, as his gaze softened when he would look at Naruto who was fitfully sleeping. He wondered what was on Sasuke's mind, watching the scenes unfold in front of him.

"Alright then," Kakashi sighed, rubbing his temples and shutting his eye. "I guess we should-"

He was interrupted by a sudden shriek from his youngest student, who was tossing and turning among the covers he had long ago kicked off.

"NO!" he screamed, as if in pain. His face was scrunched up in pain, eyes squeezed shut and his breath coming in short gasps.

"Naruto?" Sasuke rushed to the side of the bed, grabbing the boy and shaking him lightly. He dropped his emotionless mask, his teeth gritted slightly. Naruto just twisted out of his grasp, lashing out weakly.

The boy was clearly drowning in a nightmare, his face tensing and tears flowing from his eyes.

 _Several people kneeled in front of him, tied and chained together. A masked man held a kunai up to someone's throat, yanking their head backwards and using their hair as leverage. Naruto let out a gasp, his pupils dilating and his eyes shaking. Hinata._

 _Her lavender eyes betrayed her as they widened in fear at the sudden pressure on her neck._

" _HINATA!" he screamed, eliminating the honorific from her name in his panic. That was the last thing on his mind. "You bastard! Let her go!"_

" _It's o-okay… N-Naruto-kun," she rasped out, managing a smile at the boy she adored._

" _Give me the kyuubi, or I will kill her and every single one of them right in front of your eyes," the man cackled, his laugh slicing through the air like ice-cold needles. "Or will you let your friends die because of your cowardice?" He dug the kunai farther into the Hyuuga's neck, eliciting a gasp from her. A small stream of red trickled down her pale skin, like a tiny spring._

" _Take it! Kill me for all I care! Just please, don't harm them!" He screamed, rage and fear for his friends building up inside him._

" _No, Naruto! You have to get away from here," another voice called from the left. Naruto squinted through the darkness, trying to identify who it belonged to._

" _S-Sasuke?" Naruto's eyes filled with rage and his figure shook._

" _Naruto… you are the future of this world. Please, leave us. Fulfill your dreams, become Hokage," a different voice rasped, sounding defeated._

" _Gaara? How… How could this all have happened? What do you want with me?" Naruto choked a sob down, his breath coming short and fast. All his friends, his comrades, were here in front of him._

" _Give up the nine-tails, fool!" the man growled, pressing the kunai further into the byakugan-user's porcelain skin._

 _All the people who pulled him away from the darkness, from the bloodshed, all in front of him. Without them, Naruto realized, he probably would have killed himself long ago. Hiding behind that mask of happiness, one that not even Sasuke's Sharingan or Hinata and Neji's Byakugan could see through… He had lost himself._

" _If you insist upon being stubborn…" the man jerked his arm sideways._

 _A pair of lavender eyes widened and met two shocked pools of blue._

 _Lips mouthed words that were never heard aloud, but their meaning was understood._

' _Thank you… Naruto'_

 _A limp, lifeless body hit the floor, eyes still open and now glazing over. The dead figure looked like a doll, so petite and limp._

 _Naruto felt something warm running down his face, coating his hands. It was blood… Hinata's blood…_

Kakashi and Sasuke tried to rouse the thrashing blond as Sakura stood back, frozen as a deer in headlights.

"No!" the sick teen screamed. "HINATA!"

"W-Why won't he wake up?" Sakura's hands started shaking, and a tear slid down her cheek. "Why is this happening?"

"He's stuck in a living hell," Kakashi lowered his head, sweating slightly. He knew these nightmares far too well, as he still today had dreams about his father and his team. He suspected Sasuke knew these dreams as well as he did, and his suspicions were confirmed as he glanced at the young Uchiha's face. His mask was gone, replaced by pure concern and worry for his friend.

"Quick, wrap him in the blankets! It'll restrict his movements," Sasuke yelled, grabbing a corner of the fabric and restraining his friend. Kakashi did the same, and watched sadly as his youngest student struggled against his bonds. He looked questioningly at the raven-haired boy, who stood watching the scene before him sadly.

"Itachi." He spat out. "He used to do this for me whenever I had nightmares." _To think… the dobe never had anyone there to do this for him. No one to comfort him… Compared to him, I'm lucky._

"Hinata," Naruto gasped as he sat up in his bed, tears falling from his face as he struggled to free himself from the blankets. He could still feel her blood on his hands, his face as he pushed past Kakashi, running to the sink in his kitchen. He turned on the water, furiously scrubbing his palms together as tears continued to flow from his eyes.

"No… I-it won't come off," he sniffed, his tiny form shaking.

"Naruto…" Kakashi was too shocked to move as he remembered his own night terrors, and the similar way he would wake up every night.

Sasuke was the first to react, walking towards the trembling blond and shutting off the water. Very slowly, he took his teammate's hands and held them up to his face.

"Naruto, there's nothing there. It was just a dream. You're fine, you're safe. You need to get back into bed," the words sounded so unlike him, it was like they weren't coming from his mouth.

Naruto hiccupped and continued to sob uncontrollably, burying his face into someone's shirt. He wasn't aware of who it was, he just needed someone to comfort him for once.

The Uchiha was taken by surprise at this sudden action, unsure of how to calm the boy. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around the sick child, pulling him closer. He wasn't uncomfortable with the physical contact, it was just foreign to him.

Rubbing Naruto's back, Sasuke released his hold on the boy and let him back towards his bed, where he and Sakura helped him lay down and covered him with blankets. He stayed down, defeated and haunted by his nightmare. Kakashi sat down next to him, running his fingers through the boy's unkempt hair, attempting to soothe him.

He had the feeling it was going to be a hard day for them both.  
~~~~~~~~~~~

Phew that was a long chapter

Thanks for reading! I'll update as soon as I can!

Let me know what characters you want to see next!

~See y'all later~


	4. Just a Quick Note

Hey guys! I just wanted to clarify some things on the story so far and its future. So far I am planning a bit of a plot twist (the thought is still brewing in my mind, however. It's not complete yet) and I'm also planning on bringing in more characters soon.

The story takes place after the Chunin exams and after Tsunade became Hokage. Sasuke hasn't left yet (obviously) and has so far put aside the tensions between him and Naruto to help the latter, and I want to address more of that in the story, as well as how Sakura acts around the two of them.

So far, I have a couple things in mind, but I want you all to tell me what you think. All of you readers are amazing and more then welcome to give suggestions on chapters and the overall plot. I will say that this story might see its end faster than I originally thought because I'm planning on starting another fanfic soon and I feel that with this one, I'm not really bringing out the character's personalities well enough and I want to work more with that.

Now, I just want to thank all of you who are reading this now, and give an even bigger thanks to all of you who reviewed/favorited/followed my story! It means alot to me.

Thanks to Angel Hatake, Katatonic97, Kessapearl, Kingdomheartsfan2, LucediDio, RavenXMistress, Shippingtoomanyships (Love your username XD), Dianaemrys15, furumi, gvargas132, irenelov, lovelies13, maddy madhatter, riennesopposealanuit, softdeepgrey, yssajeg, zulqar95, and especially moonshadowcuteness1 for reviewing several times, among other things. :) Also, wow! 18 followers! Honestly, that's 18 more than I thought I would have.

So yeah, let me know what you think so far and if you have any ideas for me, I'd love to hear them!

Well that's all for now.

~Thanks for Reading!~

A/N: My apologies for the mistakes on this chapter previously, it seems the file encountered an error earlier.


	5. Chapter 4

Hey guys! Sorry for not posting this sooner…. Well here's the new chapter so… enjoy? Let me know if you find any grammar/spelling mistakes because I really care about all that. Well, here we go!

Naruto was on fire. He was burning up, and no matter which way he turned he could not find any way to cool down.

He felt like he was falling through the pits of hell, burning up. There was no escape from the fires and heat.

Aside from that, his stomach hurt. It was as if he had drank all the bad milk in Konoha and Suna combined, and there was no relief from the constant discomfort. _How long will this last?_

He was getting worse. It was obvious. Even Kakashi, with his limited medical knowledge, could see that. Something clearly wasn't right with the boy, and he just hoped that everything would clear up before he had to take him to see Tsunade. That woman scared the living daylights out of him: She once almost knocked him out when she saw him reading one of his favorite Icha Icha books in her office.

Sakura knew something really was wrong with Naruto. But just _what_ was it? Even though she was no medical genius like the Hokage, she already figured that whatever he had come up with had escalated far beyond anything you would normally be sick with. _They always say fools never catch a cold._ Sakura thought to herself, laughing mentally. _Well, come to think of it, I've never seen Sasuke-kun sick either. I'd like to think that I'd take care of him… If he'd let me, that is._ She threw a sideways glance at her teammate.

Sasuke was deep in thought, his elbows resting on his knees and his fingers interlaced. _He never gets sick though… or hurt, either. Tch, no matter how many times I beat him down he always bounces right back up like nothing ever happened…_ The young Uchiha looked down at his younger teammate, hoping that he would recover soon so he could get back to training. It wasn't that he didn't care about the idiot, he just hated the curious stares Kakashi and Sakura were throwing his way. They made him uncomfortable, much to his surprise. Another thing was that he hated hospitals. They stank of death and blood, and were filled with misery and grief.

It all reminded him of _that_ night.

He just hoped that Naruto wouldn't have to go to the hospital.

Sakura glanced at the clock mounted on the wall. 10:08 in the morning. She sighed and rose to her feet, tucking a few pink strands of hair behind her ear. Every couple of minutes she repeated the same routine, as if it were a ritual.

Get up.

Check Naruto's temperature. It was even hotter than before.

Change the towel on his forehead.

Prop up his pillow.

She sat down and nervously picked at her nails. It was a habit that she broke long ago, as it ruined her nails and hands. After all, any boy who would hold her hand would want it to be nice and soft, right?

She no longer really cared about that. After the Chunin Exams, she found herself caring less and less about what her "dear Sasuke-kun" thought about her and more about becoming a better kunoichi and a nicer person.

"Sakura," a voice called her name. She liked the way her name rolled off of that person's tongue, velvety like a cat's purr. It sounded distant. She ignored the summon, however, and continued to tear away at her nails.

"Sakura," a cool hand touched her warm ones, and her head snapped up as her green eyes met two dark ones, regarding her with a curious gaze. She felt trapped, cornered, by those eyes as they bored holes through her soul. Sasuke lifted up her hand to her face. "You're bleeding."

"Oh," she snatched her hand away, wiping the blood of the edges of her fingernails. She left the red under her nails right where it was, not bothering to clean it out. _Naruto always heals so fast… He'll be alright…. Right?_

"I'm going to make some tea," Sakura sighed, getting to her feet. She needed to calm her nerves, and the thought of a warm cup of chamomile appealed to her. "Would any of you like some?"

"If Naruto here even happens to have some, then yes. I doubt that he has anything but ramen in his cabinets," Kakashi grudgingly shut his book, tucking it away into his jacket. "I'm going to step out for a bit, if you don't mind. I'll be back as fast as I can." There was something he needed to find out about the recent whereabouts of his student.

Sakura rummaged through Naruto's mostly-empty cabinets (save for a few cups of ramen) looking for tea leaves. She frowned, creasing her forehead as she realized how little the blond knucklehead actually owned. She'd seen the way the shop owners would treat him, but always passed it off, figuring it was just because of all the stunts and pranks he used to pull.

The pink-haired girl opened a small drawer, shrieking when her hand came in contact with a spider web. Embarrassed, she shook it off and searched through the contents of the bin. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary: a spare key to his apartment, more ramen, and the ridiculous frog-wallet he carried around. Then something caught her eye.

A small calendar, buried in the back of the drawer. She chewed her lip, wondering if she would be invading on her younger teammate's privacy before dismissing the thought and taking a second to glance at the page in front of her. It was mostly blank, except for a few notes here and there, noting missions and training lessons. Then she saw two things that made her stomach turn.

The first one was on a date set at the beginning of the month. ' _Go shopping for ramen and milk, if the men in charge of my monthly salaries stop by.'_ Sakura narrowed her eyes. 'If' they stopped by? Wasn't it by rule that orphans were given monthly salaries?

Something inside Sakura clicked. The rude looks and treatment Naruto was constantly being given. It definitely had something to do with the fact that he seemed to not be getting enough groceries each month. That would certainly explain why he ate ramen so much, as well as why his milk was always spoiled. These very thoughts angered Sakura to the core. Sure, maybe Naruto was a nuisance and could be annoying at time. But he was _human_. He was her teammate. He was her friend.

The kunoichi decided she would have a 'talk' with the Hokage later.

The second thing that disturbed her on the calendar was a certain circled date. October tenth. _What could be so special about this day?_ It was the anniversary of when the Yondaime Hokage defeated the Kyuubi, but Naruto never really payed attention to the festivals celebrating the event. In fact, she had never seen him around the village during the parties and firework displays.

 _Unless…._

Could it possibly be his birthday?

Why wouldn't he tell them?

Sakura shook her head, dismissing the thought. She opened a cabinet that was nearly rusted shut at the hinges and pulled out what seemed to be a box containing a variety of tea leaves, combing through the box until she luckily found what she was looking for. Who would have thought that Naruto would have so many teas?

She was in the process of setting the water to boil when she was interrupted by Sasuke.

"He's regaining consciousness," the young Uchiha called out, his tone even and cool. Sakura set the mug she was holding down and hurried over to where her two male teammates were, the younger of which was stirring.

"Sakura?" He eventually managed to croak out, face flushed and scrunched up in pain.

"I'm here," Sakura placed a cool hand on the blond's forehead, hissing at the unchanged heat. "Sasuke-kun, would you be able to get a new towel moist for me?" She knew the brooding teen hated to be ordered around, but she needed to stay by Naruto for now.

"Hn," was her only response as she watched Sasuke grudgingly get up, stuffing his hands in his pocket.

Sakura turned her attention back to the sick child, smoothing his hair away from his face. "Naruto, how do you feel?" she hesitantly asked, knowing full well the answer wouldn't be good.

"I'm fine, Sakura… Don't you worry one bit about me," he rasped, attempting a smile before the pink-haired girl smacked him lightly in the head. "Okay… I feel like crap," he admitted, his shockingly blue eyes meeting hers. She had never seen him so tired… So worn out… It was like the person who was lying in front of her was not Naruto, but some false impersonator who she wanted to punch.

"Also...Naruto…" she paused, looking at his face calculatingly. "Why didn't you tell us it was your birthday?" she said through gritted teeth, a frustrated tone seeping into her words. She was always quick to anger, after all.

She got the reaction she wanted out of him, however. His face was taken over by a look of pure shock and he could barely stutter a response. "I… H-how did you…?"

"That doesn't matter, Naruto," she frowned. "What matters to me is that it's your birthday and you never told us, so you spent it alone. We really do care, you know."

He bit his lip nervously and cast his gaze downwards. "I just never thought… people actually cared about me," he rasped, moistness gathering in his eyes.

Sakura propped up his pillow and helped him sit up, staring right into his eyes. "Why would you ever think that? You're my teammate… my friend…" she said softly, brushing a few strands of hair out of her eyes.

"I have your towel," Sasuke said dryly, with a glint in his eye. "And… you know… I agree with what Sakura said," he admitted, smirking at the girl's blush.

A knock sounded at the door, and they all snapped their attention up at the noise.

"Kakashi-sensei probably locked himself out," Sasuke grunted, handing Sakura the wet towel. "I'll get it."

"I wouldn't," Naruto cautioned, knowing that Kakashi would rather enter through the window than the door.

The door creaked open, and a loud "What the hell do you want?" was heard from Sasuke, followed by a thud and the sound of shattered glass.

"Told you," Naruto muttered as Sakura raced over to check what was happening.

~Just a note~ I'm planning on making this more of an actual story with a plot rather than just a fluffy little story so yup. And I have a couple of characters/events in mind that I want to have in this. It's pretty much all mapped out in my head.

~Thanks for reading, and please review!~


	6. Chapter 5: Diagnosis

Thanks to my tenth reviewer, **ButterfliesInTheSkies**

Also, I dedicate this chapter to you, Sarah, because your birthday is coming up but I wont be in town for it :( So here you go! (Also, you need to get an account to stop leaving anon reviews on my stories and start _posting!_ :)

~This chapter is over 2,000 words, so yay! I'll update again when I get back~

* * *

A group of men loomed over Sasuke, and probably had too much sake by the looks of it.

"Wheresh the demon-brat?" one of the men slurred, taking a lousy swipe at the air in front of him. Sasuke recognized him to be Arashi Hoshikawa, the owner of the dango shop that Sakura frequented.

"What do you want?" the raven-haired boy spat out, taking a fighting stance and preparing to defend his team, if need be. He wasn't about to let a few drunk men beat him. No, that would forever wound his pride.

"Sasuke-kun? What's happening?" Sakura peered around the corner, oblivious to the scene that was unfolding before her.

"Stay back," he hissed at the pink-haired girl, who was just taking in the sights before her eyes.

"H-Hoshikawa-san? What are you doing here? What's going on? Eh?" her eyes widened when she saw the broken sake bottles in his hand and the strong scent of the fermented beverage reached her nose.

"Be a shame," the man hiccuped, waving a smashed bottle around. "If I were to kill my best client, yess? H-Heeeey! I know! How 'bout you call yer little _boyfriend_ off here, and ya tell me where the monsster is so we can move on, right?"

 _He called Sasuke-kun my boyfriend! Cha!_ Inner-Sakura cheered before outer-Sakura quieted her. This was getting serious. Monster? Demon-brat? Were they talking about Naruto?

"You have no business here. Leave," the Uchiha huffed, slowly reaching back to draw a kunai from his belt. Things were starting to get ugly.

"Ah. You must be the Uchiha brat, eh? Mommy and Daddy ran away from you, just like that kid's parents did as well. Pshh, no one wants a demon for a child, do they? And ash for me havin' no bushinesh here, I have full righ' to be here!" the man proudly pointed his thumb towards himself, ignoring Sasuke's furious glare and knowing full well that he had struck a nerve in the young boy.

"I'm jest doin' what haf the village woulda liked to beh done looong ago," the man muttered. "That ish, killing the Kyuubi!" he proclaimed, watching in glee as the two young faces in front of him displayed mixed emotions of confusion, fear, and anger.

"T-the Kyuubi?" Sakura gasped, bringing her trembling fists up to her face. "B-But the Yondaime killed it!" Her trembling form shook uncontrollably as she recalled the stories that had been told about the beast. Her own mother and father had stared death in the eyes as they went to assist other shinobi in the fight.

"Just what are you talking about?" Sasuke demanded, flipping out his kunai and holding the polished steel in front of him.

"Killed it! H-haha! Dat's what dey wanted you to know! Whut really happend was dat-" the man was cut short by a swift blow from behind, rendering him unconscious. Looking behind him, the two comerades could see that the others suffered the same fate. A masked Jounin flipped his book closed, a bored expression concealing his internal panic.

"Ohayo," he greeted, holding up one hand in acknowledgement. _These men… they almost broke the Sandaime's rule._ "How's Naruto?"

"He's been the same since you left, sensei. If anything, he's gotten worse," Sakura shook her head, causing uneven strands of pink hair to sway around her head. She spun around on her heels and walked back towards the bed, where an upright Naruto was struggling to get on his feet.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" She gently pushed him back, concern rising in her eyes as she saw his panicked expression. "Was it another nightmare?"

The sick child shook his head, trying to desperately speak.

"Sakura…. Bathroom… _Now_ ," he muttered, bile rising in his throat. The pink-haired kunoichi looked confused, not understanding. Fortunately, Sasuke understood what he was saying and faster than the Yellow Flash of the Leaf, he bolted towards Naruto and half-dragged him towards the bathroom.

Sasuke was no good at comforting people. All he knew was what Itachi and his mother had done for him in his past. So when Naruto, hovering over the sink, began crying, all he felt he could do was awkwardly pat and rub the blond's back and tell him he'd be alright, and that everything would be okay.

When Naruto had collapsed into his arms, he carried him back to his bed and began set him down before his sensei spoke up.

"Actually, I think it's time Naruto here saw a doctor, don't you think?" Kakashi slid open Naruto's bedside window, squinting as the sunlight hit his eye. He motioned for the two to follow him, ignoring the Uchiha's exasperated glares as they climbed out alongside him.

"Why do I have to carry the dobe?" he grumbled, shifting the tiny form in his arms. He had to admit, though, that the boy felt as light as a feather, and seemed delicate enough that the tiniest breath could blow him away. With all that ramen he ate, Sasuke would have expected Naruto to be much heavier than this. His lithe frame was always disguised by that hideous jacket he wore.

Team Seven leapt nimbly towards the Hokage's tower, before Kakashi rapped on the window of Tsunade's office.

The very drunk woman opened her window, not even attempting to hide the half-empty bottle of Sake in her hand.

"Whadya want?" she grumbled, letting them pass into her office. "Seriously, I've got a mountain of paperwork here, and Kakashi, I've had enough of you attempting to get me to put the Icha Icha series in all the bookstores of Konoha,"

"Eh heh," Kakashi nervously laughed. "Actually, there's something I think you need to see. It's Naruto."

"Huh? What about the brat? Has he done something now?" She swirled the drink she held before taking another sip and taking a look at the three who had entered her office without her permission. Really, she ought to beat them all.

Sakura and Kakashi stepped aside to reveal the raven-haired boy and the figure in his arms. Instantly, Tsunade felt a knot grow in her stomach. She _knew_ all that money she had won in the lottery would mean bad luck.

"Set him down," she commanded, pushing past the others and kneeling next to the sick child. Tsunade placed a hand on his forehead, tensing up at the searing heat it emitted. Using her fingertips, she opened his eyelids and pulled out a flashlight, shining the light into his eyes.

He wasn't poisoned, that's for sure. If so, the pupil would have contracted at a much slower rate, if not at all. What worried her more was the redness on his face.

Focusing her chakra into her palms, she began a basic healing jutsu and begun to thoroughly examine Naruto.

"His chakra is depleting at a steady rate, and he's running a high fever. Has he had anything to eat?" Tsunade asked, moving her hands around Naruto's chest. _Damn. If this is what I think it is…_

"Y-yes, Tsunade-sama. I made him some soup, but it seems that he threw it all up," the pink-haired kunoichi chewed on her lip nervously.

"Not good… Not good at all. Tell me, what contact have you had with him today?" she demanded, raising her voice.

"W-well, I carried him over to his bed, and fed him," Sakura stuttered. _And fell asleep on him too._ "I think Sasuke-kun had far more contact with him though."

"Hn," was the raven's only response, not willing to say what the blond made him go through.

"Anbu!" Tsunade called, turning away from the boy in front of her. She would not let _him_ die too. "Get me Shizune, as well as Nara Shikaku. I need transport to the hospital, stat! And tell the medics to set up an IV and heart monitor!"

The flurry of bodies and motion in the room left the remainder of Team 7 stunned and motionless like a frog caught with a flashlight.

"Come on, you two!" Sakura grabbed her sensei's arm as well as Sasuke's, dragging them after the Sannin and her teammate.

* * *

"So you're saying you know nothing about the virus?" Tsunade roared, slamming her fist down on her desk, effectively splitting the wood in half. The slouching man in front of her recoiled and stumbled back a few steps, dropping the heavy book he had lugged into the Sannin's office.

He sighed. "I'm afraid not, Hokage-sama. For now we should-"

"What about the Akimichi? They had an outbreak a couple of years back, right?" the kunoichi huffed and marched to the piles of paperwork that were scattered around the floor, shifting through them and looking for the plea for peace the sand had sent out earlier.

"Yes, yes they did," Shikaku Nara rubbed his forehead in exasperation, attempting to relieve the horrendous pressure slowly building behind his eyes. Dealing with the Hokage was never easy, and arguing with her made him age a little more every time.

"However, they died soon as they were unable to eat, and therefore their calorie-made chakra was depleted quickly. It's surprising that Naruto has been able to stay alive for this long, with the amount of chakra he's lost. The sand had an outbreak of the virus a few months ago and managed to save a few of the patients, thanks to Chiyo-sama."

Tsunade stalked over to her chair and plopped down on it, scanning the document in her hand and tapping her foot impatiently. She knew that the elders would never agree to her plan. No, they would be absolutely furious with the idea she had in mind, and try to kick her out of office. But that was the least of her worries, no. If she didn't go through with this, who knows what would happen to Konoha, and the brat would surely die.

She had made up her mind.

"Get the Cryptanalysis team to translate this level-one emergency message and send it to the sand at once!" she thrust the hastily written scroll at Shikaku, the ink barely dry as he began to hurry down the hall against the flow of jounin. She just wanted to go drinking or punch something to pieces, excluding her desk. But she had a patient to treat.

* * *

Shizune burst through the Isolation doors, clad in a bulky protective suit that covered every inch of her body, save for her hands that had a thin layer of plastic covering them. She hurried through the area, a group of nurses dressed in similar fashion at her heels.

A familiar head of blond hair was visible behind a curtain of plastic that further obscured her vision of the patient. The medic chewed her lip as she entered the containment area, focusing her attention on the child she considered to be her little brother.

His hair was matted against his flushed face, and his tiny form shook with each breath as if it would be his last. It broke Shizune's heart, to see the adorable knucklehead like this. On the day of the festival, none the less.

A new presence made itself known when it thundered through the door, rushing to the corner Shizune was in.

"Shizune! How is he?" the Hokage grabbed a clipboard containing Naruto's medical information, scanning the charts for even the slightest possible chance that she was wrong with her diagnosis. She would bet all her money on the chance that she was right, because after all, she did lose all of her bets.

"I'm not sure myself, I honestly just got here-" she was cut off by Tsunade, who held a hand up as she began to listen to Naruto's breathing.

"Get him an oxygen mask, and put him on some albuterol. His lungs are weak, and we don't want them to fail," she demanded, moulding chakra into her palms and examining him further.

"Lady Tsunade, we have the blood test results!" a nurse hurriedly entered the area, panting. A new document was in her shaking hands as she handed it over to her superior.

"And?" Tsunade asked impatiently.

"I think you should see for yourself." the nurse gasped, leaning over and struggling to take breaths and calm her heartbeat from her long run.

Tsunade's eyes scoured the page, before widening in shock.

Slowly, the paper began to slip from her hands.

She had been right all along.

Naruto was infected.

With the Chakra Virus.


End file.
